Children-Led Climate Change Adaptive Programme
Five ground-breaking initiatives that put Putrajaya's schoolchildren at the frontline of climate action — from STEMSEL-powered ecoboats (2018) to a 308 KG carton collection drive (2023)
Overview
The Children-Led Climate Change Adaptive Programme is Perbadanan Putrajaya’s sustained, multi-year commitment to placing schoolchildren and youth at the heart of climate action. Between 2018 and 2023, five distinct sub-projects were delivered in sequence — each building upon the previous — to progressively deepen climate literacy, empower student-led environmental initiatives, and embed green values into Putrajaya’s educational ecosystem.
Managed by Bahagian Pengurusan Alam Sekitar dan Perancangan (BPMP) under Perbadanan Putrajaya, each project is delivered in collaboration with universities, government ministries, UN agencies, and private sector partners. Together, they directly satisfy PSCB Smart Application 7.2: Innovative Community and contribute evidence to MS ISO 37122:2019 Indicator 34 (Citizen Engaged in Planning Process).
The Five Sub-Projects
🌿 Project 1 — GreenROSE@Putrajaya (2018)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Year | 2018 |
| Location | SK Putrajaya Presint 8(1) & SK Putrajaya Presint 8(2) |
| Department | BPMP, J(R) — Perbadanan Putrajaya |
| Agency Partner | Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) |
Objectives:
- Build awareness, knowledge, skills, and appreciation of climate change issues among primary school students.
- Encourage children to identify and lead mitigation actions in their homes, schools, and neighbourhoods.
- Reduce individual and community carbon footprints through children-led green initiatives.
Programme Activities:
1. STEMSEL Free STEMSEL kits were provided to both schools. Students received introductory briefings on electronics, then completed three hands-on projects:
- Ecoboat — Designed and assembled using STEMSEL kits and recyclable materials, controlled via Bluetooth in a pool demonstration.
- Smart Street Light — Students installed light sensors and built functional automatic street lights — experiencing IoT firsthand.
- Smart City Model — Students integrated multiple sensors into a miniature smart city model, simulating how technology can create sustainable urban environments.
2. Green Folio (Logbook) A green logbook designed to help children monitor their daily activities at home and school that contribute positively to climate action. Three books were distributed to each student: a Basic Climate Change Book, a Green Folio logbook, and a Press Flower Guide. Activities tracked include water and energy saving, recycling, and personal carbon footprint monitoring.
3. Storytelling A storytelling module to increase awareness, care, and empathy through narrative creation. Students were taught the five-component story framework — Character, Setting, Problem, Plan, and Resolution — to construct original eco-stories about climate challenges and solutions in their daily lives.
4. Pledge Wall Students constructed pledge walls using recycled materials, installed at strategic school locations. The pledge wall campaign engaged both schoolmates and parents in publicly committing to protect the environment and act on those pledges in their daily lives.
📗 Project 2 — Folio Hijau (2019)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Year | 2019 |
| Department | BPMP, J(R) — Perbadanan Putrajaya |
| Agency Partner | Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) |
Objective: Produce a comprehensive green logbook enabling children to systematically monitor their daily activities — at home and at school — that contribute positively to climate action.
The Folio Hijau (Green Portfolio) is a structured self-monitoring tool that fosters environmental conservation practices through daily habit tracking. Children record their actions across four sustainability dimensions:
- Water Conservation — Monitoring daily water usage and identifying reduction opportunities.
- Energy Saving — Tracking electricity consumption at home and school.
- Recycling — Logging materials recycled or repurposed.
- Carbon Footprint — Calculating and reducing their personal carbon footprint.
By sustaining a personal environmental record, students cultivate a sustainable lifestyle grounded in data — transforming awareness into measurable daily action.
📚 Project 3 — Putrajaya Green City in Malaysian Education Syllabus (2019)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Year | 2019 |
| Department | BPMP, J(R) — Perbadanan Putrajaya |
| Agency Partner | Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (KPM) / Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) |
Objective: Formally embed Putrajaya’s green city model and environmental initiatives into the national school curriculum as a content reference for environmental education.
Putrajaya’s sustained green city efforts attracted the attention of the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE). Through the Institute of Language and Literature (Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka / DBP), an article on Putrajaya Green City was incorporated as teaching material in the Year 3 Bahasa Melayu textbook for National Type Schools (SJK), effective from 2019.
This represents a significant milestone: Putrajaya’s green city journey is now formally embedded in the national curriculum — reaching hundreds of thousands of primary school children across Malaysia annually, extending the city’s climate education reach far beyond its own borders.
🎙️ Project 4 — Putrajaya Youth Environment Living Labs (YELL): Eco-Stories Writing Contest (2022)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Year | 2022 |
| Location | Armada Hall, Marina Putrajaya, Precinct 5 |
| Department | BPMP, J(R) — Perbadanan Putrajaya |
| Agency Partners | UNDP Malaysia, UNICEF, Study Hub Asia |
Objectives:
- Provide a platform to educate and train youth to be more aware of climate change issues and environmental preservation.
- Give youth an opportunity to share ideas and act collectively in addressing climate change.
- Educate secondary school students to be more sensitive to environmental issues and the effects of climate change through eco-storytelling.
Programme Execution:
Eco-Stories Workshop (In-Person) A total of 44 students from 9 secondary schools attended the inaugural workshop at Armada Hall. Students participated in an icebreaking session before receiving guidance on producing eco-stories in two formats: written essay and short video.
Online Coaching Sessions (Series 1 & 2)
- Series 1: 21 participants attended the first online guidance session to monitor story progress and resolve questions.
- Series 2: 25 participants attended a second online coaching session to finalise their entries.
Eco-Stories Prize Presentation Ceremony Winners were presented their awards at a ceremony attended by strategic partners, including representatives from UNDP Malaysia and UNICEF. The ceremony celebrated youth-led environmental storytelling as a vehicle for climate advocacy.
♻️ Project 5 — UBC Collection Competition (2023)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Duration | 21 June – 13 July 2023 |
| Location | Perbadanan Putrajaya, Precinct 3 |
| Department | BPMP, J(R) — Perbadanan Putrajaya |
| Agency Partners | Tetra Pak Malaysia, Nestlé Malaysia, Alam Flora Environmental Solutions (AFES) |
Objectives:
- Provide exposure and educate the younger generation on the recycling process of Used Beverage Cartons (UBC).
- Expose participants to the production of technology-derived materials — specifically polyAl boards manufactured from UBC recycled material.
Results: The UBC Collection Competition ran for 23 days and collected 308 KG of used beverage cartons — diverting significant packaging waste from landfill while demonstrating to youth how everyday packaging enters a formal circular economy recycling chain.
Circular Economy Learning Loop: Students and youth participants experienced the full UBC lifecycle — from collection at home and school, through the weighing and submission process, to understanding how UBC materials are processed into polyAl boards by Tetra Pak’s manufacturing partners. AFES provided logistical support for the collection and transport of materials.
Programme Impact Summary (2018–2023)
| Sub-Project | Year | Key Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| GreenROSE@Putrajaya | 2018 | STEMSEL, pledge walls, and eco-storytelling at 2 SK Presint 8 schools |
| Folio Hijau | 2019 | Green logbook tracking water, energy, recycling, and carbon footprint |
| Green City in Textbooks | 2019 | Putrajaya Green City embedded in Year 3 SJK national BM textbook |
| YELL Eco-Stories Contest | 2022 | 44 students from 9 schools trained; 2 online series; prize ceremony |
| UBC Collection Competition | 2023 | 308 KG UBC collected; youth exposed to polyAl circular economy chain |
PSCB Blueprint Alignment
This initiative is classified under Smart Application 7.2: Innovative Community within the Putrajaya Smart City Blueprint (PSCB), contributing to Thrust 7: Smart Community.
| Framework | Alignment |
|---|---|
| PSCB Smart Application | 7.2 — Innovative Community |
| PSCB Indicator | IND-34 — Citizen Engaged in Planning Process |
| Objective | Expose and educate young children on climate change and enhance their creative ideas |
| Desired Outcome | Enrich young students with scientific knowledge infused with green living values, instilling responsibility and care for the environment |
| Implementation | Collaborate with educational institutions and NGOs |
Blueprint Status: Existing (to be expanded & enhanced) — with new sub-projects delivered through international partners (UNDP, UNICEF) and private sector collaborators (Tetra Pak, Nestlé, AFES).
Key Highlights
Technology Stack
